R CALF members just wrapped up their 2020 convention held in Deadwood, South Dakota. South Dakota cattle producer Brett Kenzy is Region 3 Director for R CALF. He says their policy priorities are mainly a continuation of what they’ve supported in the past. He says that includes improving competition in the beef marketplace, reinstituting mandatory country of origin labeling and monitoring DOJ and USDA investigations into the cattle markets.

He says they and other groups are backing Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s 50-14 legislation which would require meat packers to purchase fifty percent of their cattle on the spot market within 14 days.

Kenzy says it’s becoming more apparent that Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling needs to be reinstated and they will continue pushing Congress to do that.

Kenzy was encouraged they had a number of younger producers attend their convention. He says many of them are eager to advocate for their group’s goals of getting markets back for the independent cattle producer and seeing competition restored.